a bleeding purple utah jazz blog

Bits from Randy Rigby Interview, 11/21

Three people, dead or alive, that you’d invite to dinner
Well, dead or alive, you know, I’ll tell ya, it was, one of the people that I really have looked up to and enjoyed reading books about him, is the founder of our nation, George Washington. I’ll tell ya, between Washington and John Adams, two novels I’ve really been fascinated with.

But I have to put Washington on there, with the, the foresight that these men had, in founding this nation, and, and they *literally* looked to the future, and knew what they were doing, they would never reap the benefits or see, and they really had a vision for the future. And, and so, those individuals, I, I, I’d have to say, at least Washington, or, or Adams, would be one of the top ones on my list.

Having lost my father 19 years ago, I’d love to have my dad back at my table…he’s a hero of mine, so I’d love to have my father back there to just visit with him, and kind of talk about what’s happened in the last 19 years, would be a fun thing for me to do. And there’s two of them.

I’ve got to, I gotta think about that third one, you know?…I’m a little at a loss of my third one here.

State of the team
Our coaching staff, I think, has done an excellent job in, in coaching, and working with our players, sharing with them the vision. We, we had a meeting today, in fact, called “The Business of Basketball,” and I had a chance to *literally* sit down with, with the guys.

They just finished a very good, by the way, practice today, and seeing them compete against each other on the floor at practice is even fun. And, and they, they’re, they’re enjoying one another, but they love to compete, and they know they’re competing to really earn their time out on the floor. And, and they’re working hard.

And so, to see us being right now 6-6, we’re starting to win on the road. I think they’re realizing what it takes to win on the road. I’m liking to see the disciplines that are coming about, and, and the competition that they’re doing, and really competing. I’ve been very happy with right now kind of the progress of, of kind of where we’re at, so far in the early part of the season.

One player whose improvement stands out to you
Well, boy, you know, that, that is a tough question. But I, I, I want to say that I’ve been very happy, Al Jefferson I think has worked very hard in the off-season, and then there’s, we had some, some things that I know our coaching staff has challenged him on, as a leader as well, in and out of the locker room. And Al, Al has really been responding. And I, I think he’s been working very hard, on it, and so I, I’ve got to say that I’ve been happy with some of the things that Al has been showing us so far.

On the Jazz’s win over the Rockets and under-the-weather James Harden
Well, and, and, but I will say this: I mean, a–any team, including the Utah Jazz, we can, we can look sometimes and some nights for excuses. We’ve always got players that have got, that are, are fighting a little bit of, could be fighting a cold, that can be fighting, you know what?

We’d just come off of a four-game road trip, and many times when you come off of a four-game road trip, you can find yourself a little bit, ru—kind of, they use the description that you’re, you’re trying to run through mud.

And so, you know what? We as an organization don’t look for and don’t allow our players to look and have excuses. And you know what? Houston can say what they want [about James Harden being ill] and have some excuses, but that’s still a pretty good team that we beat.

On Jazz players being asked to hold their hands over their hearts during the national anthem
I’ll tell ya, I’m impressed with what our guys are doing, during, off the court as, during, you know, when we’re not in the game mode as well….We’ve asked them to think about those who have served and to respectfully stand with their hand over their heart, and I’ve been impressed with how our players have really responded.

And last game, all of our players were standing with their hand over their heart, and, showing the respect of, of what they feel about this great country and of being a citizen here. And, it, so I, and I think it speaks to who they want to be as, as also players and citizens in our community.*

I’m glad somebody noticed the hand on the heart thing! I think Millsap bugged me the most, closing his eyes with his head down. It made me think he was just trying to not let the anthem distract him from his mental prep for the game or something.